A concert in Santa Ana 14th October 2010

Midori had another concert in Santa Ana with Sergio Nunes! It was held in the Casa de la cultura Santa Ana on the 14th October.

The venue looks quite new, and is 4 stories building, seems to have about 4-5 class rooms in each floor. The concert room was on the 3rd floor, and it can accommodate about 100 people.

The room was filled with audiences including students of Casa de la cultura and musicians. I didn't really expect my school friends to come because it was in Santa Ana and it was only Thursday....but some of my friends came over to see me, that made me very happy!

There was an old Kawai fluegel piano (how do you say that in English? Is it just "Grand piano"?) and this became tonight's another partner for me.

Funnily, I didn't become nervous at all (this was the first time in my life as far as I remember!!), and I could enjoy playing music with Sergio's cello. In this sense, I really could dig into my own music world and to collaborate that with Sergio's. I look forward the video that tricky tracky took :))

This was another new quality experience.

Muchas gracias :))







10月14日（木）セルヒオ・ヌニェスさんとの第2回目のコンサートを開きました。場所は首都のサンホセから約30分くらい北にある、少々ハイソな街、サンタアナ。こちらの文化センターにて行いました。

文化センターはコンクリートむき出しの現代的な4階建ての建物です。今回のコンサートホールは3階。収容人数は100人。

お陰さまで会場は文化センターに通う学生たちや、ミュージッシャン、そのほかの方でいっぱいになりました。木曜だったし、サンタアナだったし、普通の日は 忙しい私の学校の友達はあんまりきてはくれないだろうと、そんなに期待していなかったのですが、何人かきてくれました。うちの向かいに住んでいる人にも声 をかけてたのですが、彼も仕事帰りに立ち寄ってくれ。もう一人、何人家わからないんですが、メールでお知らせした方がきてくださいました。やっぱり知り合 いに応援されているのって嬉しいですね！

会場には年季の入ったカワイのグランドピアノ。今夜の私のお供です。

不思議なことに、全然緊張せず（人生初だったかも！？）演奏でき、そのお陰でセルヒオの音楽を感じ取りながら、自分の音楽をどうやって作るのか、ということに集中できた気がします。なんか嬉しい！！トリッキートラッキー（というあだ名の青年）がビデオを取ってくれたので、見てまた研究します。

また新しい経験・勉強になりました。


Entry: Midori

Un concierto de musica con Sergio Nunes セルヒオ・ヌニェスさんとのコンサート

On the 25th September, Midori had a concert with Costarican Cellist, Sergio Nunes at the theatre of Ciudad Colon in Costa Rica.

Ciudad Colon is about 20km north to the capital San Jose where there is an university (University for Peace) which I go.

Sergio Nunes is a prominent Cellist in Costa Rica. He studied music at a university in Brazil and continued to Master's in Berlin, Germany. Currently, he is the director of the Cultural Centre of Ciudad Colon.

We had many audiences on that night including my friends from the university and received warm compliments. Thank you very much!!!

I also learnt new perspectives and approaches on music from Sergio which, I am sure enrich my future play.

It was completely enjoyable to play before people after a half year. Also, I am very thankful for Sergio to give me such a chance, I am happy to be able to play in Costa Rica, yay! Moreover I am glad that I could get in touch with Costarican people particularly in Ciudad Colon through music.

Today's repertoires
1. Bach: Arioso
2. Saint-Saens: Allegro Appasionato
3. Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No.5
4. Schubert: Ave Maria
5. Schubert: Serenade
6. Faure: Elegie
7. Mascagni: Intermezzo Sinfonico
8. Villa-Lobos: Bachianas Brasileiras No.2
9. Saint-Saens: Swan
10. Popper: Govotte
Ancore: Luis Castillo: Luna Liberiana

*Here is a link of a news letter of my university. In the page 4, you can see my report regarding this concert.

http://www.allianceforupeace.nl/Uploaded_files/Editor/file/Newsflash%20UPEACE%20October%202010.pdf






9月25日、コスタリカ人チェリストのセルヒオヌニェスさんとシウダット・コロンのシアターにてコンサートをしました。シウダット・コロンは首都のサンホセから約20km北に位置し、人口は約15,000人、私の大学がある街でもあります。

チェリストのセルヒオさんですが、このシウダット・コロンの文化センターの館長さん。ブラジルの大学で音楽を専攻し、その後、修士をベルリンでされています。

シウダット・コロンのシアターなのですが、結構年季が入ってて、建てられたのは1946年ってかかれてた気が・・・・すごくシンプルな収容人数200人のこじんまりしたかわいいシアターです。

土曜日だったこともあり、学校の友達が多数見にきてくれ、会場は満杯！わーい！みなさんからたくさんお暖かいお言葉をいただきました。ありがとうございます。

セルヒオさんのようなチェリストと演奏をさせていただけるのは、私にとっても本当にいい経験。ベルリンで培ってきた彼の音楽性が、練習しているだけで、吸収できる！やった！！新しい発見もたくさんありました。ピアノがもっとうまくなりたいと思った次第です・・・それから、何より音楽で地元の人と交流ができたことが一番の収穫。音楽で平和を作っていこうとしているので、その第１の足がかりになりました。

＊大学のニュースレターにコンサートのレポートが掲載されましたー！4ページ目です。ご覧ください！
http://www.allianceforupeace.nl/Uploaded_files/Editor/file/Newsflash%20UPEACE%20October%202010.pdf

Entry: Midori

Singing in Manila マニラにて歌う。

It's been almost three months since I came here. Time flies, indeed!

A new life brought me some fresh energy, and I am filled with happiness, thankful for this wonderful chance to be able to realise my long-time dream: study!

So, I have come to be given a chance to sing for the first time in the Philippines after a long time concentration on studying. This was for a party which was organised at a student residence where I live in on the 29th June.

I sang "You raise me up" which has been one of my repertoires in our activity in Niigata.
The second one was "Kanayo Kanayo（愛よ愛よ）" by Natsukawa Rimi. I felt a bit
weird to sing them without the cello, but somehow I made it!




12月から新潟→仙台→マニラと移動。マニラには4月にやってきましたが、既に3ヶ月が経とうとしています・・・・うーん、時が経つのは本当に早い・・・！

私の新しい生活＝学生生活ですが、新鮮がエネルギーをもたらしてくれています。勉強できることに感謝しない日はないくらい・・・・自分でもそれにびっくりなんですが・・・・ずっと留学を目指していたからかな・・・いいことですね！

さて。私が今住んでいる学生コンドミニアムにて、パーティーが行われ、歌を歌わせていただきました。歌ったのは"You raise me up"と”愛よ愛よ”（夏川りみ）です。新潟でもよく歌ってたナンバー。当日はちゃんと電子ピアノも準備しててくれて・・・。チェロなしで歌うってのが、 とても久しぶりだったので、何かが足りない気がしたりもしましたが、無事終了。

ってあとで知ったのですが、これただのパーティーじゃなくって、若い学生さんが自分の音楽を発表するタレントショーだったらしい・・・・何だか賞品ももら えたらしく・・・・ごめーん！知らなかった・・・・ちょっとですが曲がりなりにも一応一応音楽でお金をもらっていた私がこれに参加してはいけなかったよ ね・・・・ともらった賞品を見ながら思うのでした・・・・


文責：みどり

One of our repertoires "Swan"

This is Swan composed by Saint Saens, French composer. This has been one of our favourite pieces!

For the first time we played it, we were running late for Open Mic in Gioia Mia and rushing into there from Niigata uni Ikarashi Campus. So(?) our play ended up with tempo allegro. Ms. Kawamura (from Castoir muse) described this as "Speedy Swan" lol! Indeed, it was way too fast. Gradually our Swan was becoming calmer and calmer ;))

This video clip is from the Jazz Street Festival which took place in January 2009. AJ is explaining in Japanese in the clip if it can be a "duck" not a "Speedy Swan".




Entry:Midori

Thank you everybody for your support!!

A set of pictures from the events posted here so far that includes some of the people around us who have joined our presentations and/or the after-parties!!





There are some other pictures from other events that were not included here, such as the Niigata Symphony Orchestra or with the wedding crew in Nagaoka or with a cello solo event at an Italian restaurant... and in Midori's case for her previous work as a Music Teacher in a Junior High School (Please feel free to include others that include friends you wish to aknowledge Mi)







Entry: AJ

Mitsubashi Nursery Schools !!

This time I had the chance to play at 2 Nursery Schools from the same owner.
This event was viewed by babies from a couple of months old to 6 years olds and a few parents..

On this opportunity I played cello solo, and it was quite a task since they are so tiny.
To my surprise, they were so attentive it was really hard to believe that I was playing for such a young crowd.

The main idea of this presentation was to take the kids through a world of music they know, to a classical world they can learn to understand ...or at least not fall asleep over!!
">
Well, basically it worked this way;
First I played some Disney and Jibri they are familiar with (or at least the story line) and then moved into a little more dangerous waters with Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" explaining the melody line for each character and then asking them to follow those themes in the main story. In the video you can hear some kids saying KOWAI! when the Wolf melody appears.. quite funny..
And at the end I played Swan (Saint Saenz) and asked them to make a story this time..
And also asked to remember the duck from Peter & Wolf's story to compare.
It worked out great!!

Next time I will try to get them a little more engaged by asking them to help me imitate the sound of the characters or for higher grades, asking them to act it out.
Well, I'm thinking out loud here, but I will consider some of this for next time.

Entry: AJ

What comes next for Azur Indian??

The sweet and sour news is that Midori San is going away from Japan. Sweet, since Midori, recieved a scholarship to study abroad at the United Nations Mandate University for Peace (clap, clap, clap..) and sour for the obvious reasons.. although, the Duo will go own with another pianist which I would like to introduce here: Hatsuki San !!
There's a video in this posting where you can see how nicely she handles the crowd.
.. I hope that the same rythm will prevail for Azur Indian.

On this note, I would like to state that AI is everybody that plays in it, and therefore, I hope that the new musicians that Midori encounters in her new postal code can be included in this blog as Azur Indian!!

Hoping to keep this blog going, I would like to present the latest event in Toyano High School, made possible thanks to a english student at the NHK cultural center where I teach.

The kids were gathered around in a 50 minute presentation that included a video in the background composed of theme pictures from Honduras in hopes to get some questions at the end of the music/speach performance. The pieces played this time included some Disney and Jibri themes but at the end mostly classical, since the level of the students is a little higher and you can present a variety that goes hand to hand with their music curriculum.

This time we are trying to stimulate all senses at the time to see what works best. The response from the kids was quite active, which is a lot to say for other presentations were it's usually not the case.
They came up with some interesting questions from the pictures and the presentation about Honduras.
I was really satisfied with this event!
">

Entry: AJ